Agri-Tech Startup, Vendease Celebrates World Food Day by Donating Food Crates to Mile 12 International Market

(L-R) Head of Finance, Tomato Section, Mile 12 Intl. Market Association, Umar DMY; Head of Procurement, Vndease, Olapeju Umah; Head of Supply, Vendease, Oluyomi Lagbaja; Vice Chairman, Mile 12 Intl. Market Association, Tomato Section, Abdullahi Babanyaya and Secretary, Mile 12 Intl. Market Association, Tomato Section, Alhaji Suleiman at the donation of food crates to the Tomato section of the market in Lagos.

In demonstration of its commitment to contributing to global efforts towards strengthening food security and socio-economic prosperity, agri-tech startup, Vendease, has commemorated this year’s World Food Day by donating hundreds of high-quality food crates to traders at the popular Mile 12 International Market, to help curtail food waste and loss, on Saturday October 16, 2021.

The donations are part of Vendease’ continued efforts to tackle food waste, which is now a matter of international concern with drastic effects on the economy, the environment and global food security. The initiative also aligns with the organisation’s disposition to fulfil the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal- SDG Goal 12, which is Responsible Consumption and Production–geared towards eco-friendly production methods and reducing the amount of food waste by 2030.

Celebrated annually on 16th of October, the World Food Day is observed worldwide to promote global awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger whilst reinforcing the need to ensure healthy diets for all. The day has since become one of the most celebrated and recognized dates on the United Nations calendar.

Speaking on the initiative, Chief Executive Officer, Vendease, Tunde Kara reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at expediting growth and development in the Nigerian food industry whilst driving transformation in the nation’s agricultural value chain.

According to him, the provision of food crates will substitute for raffia baskets, which are commonly used by traders and contribute to food loss in the market.

“As a responsible organization and key player in the Nigerian food industry, Vendease continually seeks avenues to improve effectiveness and efficiency of the food value chain; hence, this initiative. The World Food Day is a significant day for us as it is behooves stakeholders to make concerted efforts to contribute to the actualization of food security, which will drive socio-economic development.

Reports show Nigeria loses at least N3.7 trillion to food wastage and poor cold chain logistics yearly, a harrowing figure indeed. It is considering this that we have chosen to commemorate this year’s World Food Day by donating hundreds of food crates to traders here in Mile 12, as this will not only help curb food wastage but also mitigate its devastating effects on the economy”, he stated.

Kara further expounded on the purpose of the initiative, describing it as a sustainable project that will go a long way in abating the inimical effects of food waste on the environment.

“Up to 30-40% post-harvest loss of food waste occurs during the procurement, transportation and distribution of produce from farms to consumers. This underscores the need for the private and public sectors to increase investments and drive initiatives that will address this issue, as it is often overlooked. We strongly believe this is a viable step towards not only the reduction of global food waste at the retail and consumer levels but also sensitizing and raising awareness about food loss”, he added.

The Vice Chairman; Mile 12 International Market, Tomato section, Alhaji Abdullahi Babanyaya, lauded the initiative, reckoning it as a charitable act which will positively impact their bottom line.

“We are happy to work together with Vendease and will continue to support their efforts in transforming the food value chain in Nigeria.”

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